Montgomery
was the county town of Montgomeryshire and the official
life of the county was run from here. The courts were held
here and the county gaol was built on the edge of the town.

As the Victorian period
went on, other nearby towns in the Severn valley increased in size and
importance. Soon they overtook Montgomery in terms of trade
and employment.
Being so close to the border, these rural communities had always had close
contact with Shropshire.

Like the other communities on our
website, Montgomery and the villages around it underwent changes
during Queen Victoria's reign.